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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: bound · root · bear · firm · bark · shower · sharp · capital

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. bark — to shout
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — certain
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. shower — rain
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. shower — to wash
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. root — of a word
  17. firm — steady
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. root — of a plant

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