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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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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: race · press · capital · craft · mouse · kick · ruler · bark

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. craft — boats
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. press — a publisher
  13. race — a contest
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bark — to shout
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. capital — a city
  21. race — humankind
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. capital — money

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