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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 · staff · current · capital · snap · pop · suit · patient

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bark — to shout
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pop — soda
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. capital — a city
  7. pop — to visit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to click
  10. staff — employees
  11. current — of water
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. staff — a stick
  14. current — electric
  15. suit — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pop — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — clothes
  21. current — happening now
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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