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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · capital · spell · bay · shower · roll · drill · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. drill — army training
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. capital — money
  5. shower — rain
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spell — letters
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. roll — a list
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. capital — a city
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — magic
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. shower — to wash
  24. deal — to handle

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