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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. clip — a video
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ground — a position
  9. degree — from a university
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ground — the earth
  14. branch — a division
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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