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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: perch · rock · trunk · bark · row · saw · court · degree

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. degree — an amount
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. row — a line
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. court — of a king
  15. saw — the tool
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. court — of law
  19. rock — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. court — for sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. saw — the tool

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