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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: bore · degree · firm · band · bark · lash · cue · perch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. firm — steady
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. band — a ring
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. firm — decided
  13. degree — temperature
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bark — to shout
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. degree — an amount
  21. band — a music group
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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