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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. object — an aim
  5. craft — a skill
  6. field — for sport
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. perch — the fish
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. object — to protest
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. field — farmland
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — to shout
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. craft — boats
  22. scale — in music
  23. rest — a break
  24. field — a subject

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