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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
468
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: wave · bark · capital · bore · scale · suit · mine · swing

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bark — to shout
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. suit — in cards
  15. swing — music
  16. capital — money
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mine — for digging
  20. capital — a city
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bore — to drill

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