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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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. bat — in an idiom
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ground — a position
  11. perch — the fish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. ground — the earth
  24. charge — electricity

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