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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 · perch · bark · temple · stand · tube · key · degree

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. degree — from a university
  3. perch — the fish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — the most important part
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tube — a container
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bore — to drill
  13. key — in music
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bore — to tire
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tube — the underground
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — to shout
  23. degree — temperature
  24. temple — side of the head

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