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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — a price
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ball — a dance
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — help
  19. bark — to shout
  20. root — of a plant
  21. charge — in control
  22. root — of a word
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bark — of a tree

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