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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: toast · swing · squash · jam · bark · bulb · tear · perch

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bulb — for light
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — to shout
  13. swing — music
  14. toast — bread
  15. tear — from crying
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — the sport
  19. swing — in golf
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. tear — from crying

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