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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · perch · file · pass · content · kid · key · bark

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. file — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a music group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — the amount
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. kid — child
  12. key — for a lock
  13. perch — the fish
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bark — to shout
  21. content — happy
  22. file — a line of people
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. file — a document

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