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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
468
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: squash · bat · wake · bark · perch · ball · foot · tube

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wake — a trail
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bat — the animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. tube — a container
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a dance

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