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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: capital · chip · stick · bark · bear · scale

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. capital — a city
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. scale — size or range
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. chip — to eat

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