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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 116 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: bark · capital · ball · can · bear · field · drill · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. field — farmland
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. field — for sport
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bark — to shout
  17. capital — money
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. field — a subject
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. can — a tin
  24. capital — a city

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