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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: date · capital · board · stick · bowl · bark · fall · tear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tear — from crying
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a city
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fall — the season
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. capital — money
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — to get on
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. date — on the calendar

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