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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. drill — the tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. field — for sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. lie — to recline
  11. field — farmland
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bark — to shout
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. drill — army training
  19. capital — money
  20. field — a subject
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. chair — a professorship

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