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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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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: mug · saw · pitcher · bat · perch · lean · bark · content

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mug — to rob
  3. content — happy
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. content — the amount
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lean — thin
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bat — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mug — a face
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bark — to shout

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