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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: saw · squash · drill · track · bark · march · perch · coach

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. squash — the sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — army training
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — a song
  14. drill — a practice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — to shout
  18. track — a path
  19. march — the month
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. track — to keep track
  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