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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — of law
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rock — music

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