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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mine — for digging
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bark — to shout
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for golf
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — a group
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. saw — the tool
  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