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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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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: mug · perch · board · tube · bark · bowl · hand · row

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. hand — in cards
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tube — the underground
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — to get on
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. tube — a container
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. hand — help
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bark — to shout
  24. board — a committee

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