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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: mug · capital · saw · row · pit · fork · bark · rest

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — a face
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. capital — money
  12. row — to paddle
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — a break
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. row — a line
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. capital — a city

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