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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: field · deal · stick · bark · rock · perch · prune · toast

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. deal — to handle
  3. field — farmland
  4. toast — bread
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — for sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — to shout
  23. field — a subject
  24. perch — the fish

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