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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: march · rock · bore · lash · perch · fork · bark · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rock — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. march — the month
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. march — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bore — to tire
  24. march — the month

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