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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bank — of a river
  5. capital — a city
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — an aim
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — low music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bass — the fish
  14. object — a thing
  15. court — for sport
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. object — to protest
  21. bank — for money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of law
  24. capital — money

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