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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 120 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: capital · land · bark · mark · current · bore · plane · object

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bark — to shout
  3. capital — a city
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — a grade
  6. object — an aim
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. current — of water
  9. bore — to drill
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. mark — a trace
  21. capital — money
  22. current — happening now
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bore — gave birth

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