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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
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 · bulb · capital · rush · bark · roll · craft · spring

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. capital — money
  10. perch — the fish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spring — the season
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — a coil
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. roll — a cake

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