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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 116 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: bowl · swing · row · bay · current · bark · capital · ground

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. current — of water
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. row — a line
  6. capital — money
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ground — crushed
  10. capital — a city
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ground — a position
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. current — happening now
  19. bark — to shout
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ground — the earth
  22. current — electric
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bay — a horse colour

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