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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · row · mug · bore · bark · squash · capital · current

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mug — a face
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mug — a cup
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. row — a line
  14. capital — money
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. mug — to rob
  18. current — electric
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — of water
  22. bark — to shout
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. row — a quarrel

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