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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pass — a permit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — thin
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. track — a song
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. track — a path
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — to keep track
  16. toast — bread
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. game — wild animals
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. game — a match
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lean — to bend

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