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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: cabinet · charge · capital · stock · bark · net · bay · plane

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. net — after costs
  5. charge — in control
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bark — to shout
  8. charge — electricity
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. charge — a price
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. capital — a city
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. capital — money
  16. net — in sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — goods
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — of a tree

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