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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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. perch — for a bird
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bore — to drill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — letters
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bore — to tire
  16. key — in music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. spell — magic
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mine — for digging
  24. deal — a big deal

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