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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — a safe
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mark — a grade
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. last — final
  16. mark — a trace
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fork — in a road
  19. last — finally
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fork — a garden tool

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