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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — to shout
  3. roll — a list
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. band — a music group
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. current — electric
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pit — in a race
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. current — of water
  24. temple — a place of worship

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