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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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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: pound · perch · cap · bank · key · bark · trunk · capital

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. key — in music
  9. perch — the fish
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cap — of ice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. pound — a weight

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