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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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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: racket · bulb · jam · bark · trunk · branch · pound · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. perch — the fish
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — to shout

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