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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: tube · mouse · bark · field · deal · fine · capital · suit

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fine — all right
  9. bark — to shout
  10. capital — a city
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. suit — in cards
  15. field — for sport
  16. capital — money
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. deal — to handle
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. tube — a container
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. field — farmland

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