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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 · spell · track · bay · capital · leaves · scale · bore

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. track — a path
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. capital — money
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spell — magic
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — a song
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. capital — a city
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spell — letters
  24. bark — of a tree

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