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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: capital · mate · lie · pass · bark · pit · perch · bear

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. capital — money
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mate — a friend
  16. capital — a city
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pass — to spend time

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