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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.

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: mark · bark · bear · object · perch · cap · land · mouse

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. object — to protest
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cap — a hat
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bark — to shout
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. object — a thing
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. land — ground
  24. object — an aim

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