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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · perch · bay · mouse · tube · saw · fine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — all right
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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