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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mate — a friend
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mate — a partner
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — obliged
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — a video
  10. bound — tied together
  11. perch — the fish
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bound — certain
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mate — to breed
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — for paper

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