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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ground — the earth
  4. club — for golf
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — a short time
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — magic
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ground — a position
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bear — the animal

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