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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. content — happy
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — videos and posts

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