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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 · bulb · bore · rock · stand · cabinet · capital · last

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — to shout
  5. last — to go on
  6. capital — money
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. capital — a city
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — final
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bore — to drill

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