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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: pit · perch · key · club · bark · trunk · spring · shower

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. perch — the fish
  5. spring — of water
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. shower — rain
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bark — to shout
  12. key — for a lock
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pit — in a race
  19. shower — to wash
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pit — a hole
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spring — the season
  24. perch — for a bird

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