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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: dip · drill · suit · bark · field · perch · bowl · firm

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. drill — army training
  3. perch — the fish
  4. firm — a company
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. field — for sport
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — decided
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — a subject
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. suit — to fit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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