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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 · racket · calf · bark · mark · rush · jam · mate

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mate — a partner
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. racket — a loud noise

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