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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
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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: bark · mark · coach · spring · ball · perch · bulb · bear

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spring — of water
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bark — of a tree

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