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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
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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: bulb · perch · bark · clip · content · row · current · pitcher

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. row — a line
  7. perch — the fish
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. clip — a video
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. content — happy
  15. current — happening now
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — electric
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — of water
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bark — of a tree

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