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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · bark · bowl · march · lie · perch · degree · rash

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — electric
  8. perch — the fish
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bark — to shout
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rash — a series
  17. lie — to recline
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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