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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · racket · lean · capital · bear · bark · roll · track

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lean — thin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. capital — money
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. track — a path
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lean — to bend
  20. capital — a city
  21. track — a song
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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