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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 · pass · craft · prune · board · capital · root · lash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. root — of a word
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. root — of a plant
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — a permit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — to shout
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. prune — to trim
  22. root — the cause
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. capital — money

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