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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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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: wax · bark · cabinet · capital · board · pit · kick · club

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pit — in a race
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. capital — money
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wax — to grow
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a city

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