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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chair — a leader
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — in a race
  11. scale — in music
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pop — to visit
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fall — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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