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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: can · cap · drill · racket · bark · pitcher · capital · plane

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. capital — a city
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bark — to shout

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