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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — a safe
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pit — a hole
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. perch — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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