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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 · capital · firm · shower · cabinet · scale · wake · mug

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mug — to rob
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mug — a face
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. capital — money
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — a city
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. firm — a company
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. firm — steady
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. shower — rain
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — decided
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bark — to shout

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