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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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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: capital · scale · bark · straw · lean · fine · pass · shower

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. scale — size or range
  7. capital — money
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fine — all right
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. shower — rain
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. capital — a city
  24. lean — thin

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