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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.

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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: pop · capital · squash · bark · rock · bear · bank · tear

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. capital — money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pop — soda
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. capital — a city
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rock — music
  20. pop — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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