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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: capital · present · bark · craft · ruler · swing · straw · can

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. swing — to play on
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. present — the time now
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bark — to shout
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. capital — a city
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. present — a gift
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. craft — a skill

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