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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: bark · root · ball · calf · fork · file · cap · perch

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. file — a document
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cap — a hat
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. file — a line of people
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bark — to shout
  21. file — a tool
  22. root — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a great time

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