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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 · bark · toast · fall · capital · suit · field · can

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — farmland
  8. capital — money
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — the season
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — for sport
  14. suit — clothes
  15. field — a subject
  16. toast — bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — the fish
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bark — to shout
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — to be able to
  24. capital — a city

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