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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — the fish
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bank — for money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — of a river
  24. net — for catching

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