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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: bark · object · capital · drill · bound · field · tube · chair

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chair — a leader
  4. tube — a container
  5. capital — money
  6. drill — army training
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bark — to shout
  9. field — farmland
  10. object — an aim
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bound — certain
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. object — a thing
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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