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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: cabinet · bear · perch · saw · capital · bark · drill · cue

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cue — a hint
  8. drill — army training
  9. bear — the animal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. saw — the tool

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