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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 116 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 · mouse · court · sharp · mug · can · bank · bark

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. court — of law
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mug — a face
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. court — of a king
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — for sport
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — of a river

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