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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.

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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: field · perch · bound · rock · mug · shower · bark · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. field — farmland
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mark — a grade
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a trace
  11. shower — rain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. shower — to wash
  14. field — for sport
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. field — a subject

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