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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 · coach · pass · bay · capital · band · arm · board

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bark — to shout
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. board — a committee
  20. pass — a permit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a ring
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. board — to get on

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