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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 · rest · dip · nail · game · fine · spring · bark

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. capital — a city
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fine — high quality
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rest — a break
  14. game — a match
  15. spring — the season
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. dip — to sink
  20. capital — money
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fine — all right

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