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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bark — to shout
  6. present — a gift
  7. tube — a container
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a trace
  11. net — in sport
  12. tube — the underground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — a grade
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. present — the time now
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. present — there
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. tube — in a tire

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