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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — the underground
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — tied together
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bound — certain
  19. tube — a container
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stock — goods

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