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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · fine · wake · hide · shower · pitcher · bark · chip

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wake — a trail
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chip — for betting
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wake — before a funeral

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