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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. present — a gift
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bark — to shout
  13. charge — a price
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. dip — to sink
  17. present — the time now
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cap — a hat
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mark — a grade
  24. present — there

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