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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: board · capital · bark · rule · bowl · temple · can · kick

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. board — a committee
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — to get on
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bark — to shout
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — in football
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rule — government
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. can — to be able to

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