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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.

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: wave · key · spring · ball · field · bark · capital · press

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. bark — to shout
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. key — in music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. key — the most important part
  14. press — newspapers
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. press — a publisher
  19. field — for sport
  20. press — to push
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  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