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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: stem · capital · ball · foot · bark · drill · bank · wave

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bark — to shout
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. drill — army training
  14. ball — a dance
  15. capital — money
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. capital — a city
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wave — with your hand

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