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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: bark · bay · patient · capital · bore · ball · perch · bear

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bark — to shout
  7. capital — money
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bore — to drill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. capital — a big letter
  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