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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: perch · lean · fork · bark · patient · craft · pound · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lean — thin
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. fork — in a road
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pound — a weight

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