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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bore — to drill
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — a video
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bound — certain

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