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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 · foot · craft · pop · pass · firm · ball · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. firm — a company
  3. capital — a city
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pop — music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bark — to shout
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. pop — soda
  14. firm — steady
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — to visit
  19. capital — money
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pass — a permit
  22. firm — decided
  23. pass — to succeed
  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