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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: bark · toast · swing · capital · root · can · patient · wake

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — of a plant
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. root — the cause
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — music
  13. root — of a word
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. toast — bread
  19. wake — a trail
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. toast — the most admired

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