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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. clip — a video
  14. pitch — completely
  15. staff — a stick
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — employees
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cap — of ice
  22. clip — to cut
  23. staff — employees
  24. perch — for a bird

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