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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: perch · bark · root · bulb · firm · band · bowl · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — steady
  4. band — a ring
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — of a word
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bark — to shout
  21. band — a music group
  22. firm — decided
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. firm — a company

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