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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · bark · pit · tube · key · pop · rule · capital

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. capital — a city
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pop — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pop — to visit
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pop — soda
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tube — a container
  21. rule — government
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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