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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: capital · date · current · object · bound · safe · fan · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — obliged
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. current — happening now
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. object — an aim
  13. current — electric
  14. capital — money
  15. current — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — to protest
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. date — the fruit
  20. capital — a city
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. object — a thing
  24. bark — of a tree

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