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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
468
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: toast · capital · bear · pitcher · fine · rock · racket · bark

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. capital — a city
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rock — a stone
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rock — music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. toast — bread
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. toast — the most admired

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