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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: kick · capital · bear · root · bark · bay · last · swing

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. swing — music
  6. last — finally
  7. root — of a plant
  8. last — to go on
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. last — final
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — to play on
  24. root — of a word

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