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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 120 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: track · kick · perch · bay · calf · fork · wind · bark

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. track — a song
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. track — a path
  21. fork — in a road
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  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