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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 120 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: bark · fork · club · pit · stick · capital · bear · swing

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. club — for golf
  21. swing — music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. capital — money

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