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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — a city
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — certain
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com