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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: bulb · mark · capital · club · bark · calf · swing · row

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. club — for dancing
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bark — to shout
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. club — a group
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. bulb — for light
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. capital — a city
  18. row — a line
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mark — a grade

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