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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bass — low music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. degree — an amount
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — to get on
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. degree — temperature
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — to shout
  17. degree — from a university
  18. perch — the fish
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bass — the fish
  21. squash — to crush
  22. board — a committee
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — the instrument

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