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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — a gift
  5. suit — to fit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ground — crushed
  9. present — there
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. club — for golf
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pass — a permit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. club — a group
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ground — a position

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