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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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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: clip · roll · content · deal · perch · bark · current · ruler

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. perch — the fish
  7. clip — a video
  8. current — electric
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — the amount
  12. current — of water
  13. roll — a list
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. clip — to cut
  20. roll — a cake
  21. current — happening now
  22. content — happy
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. clip — for paper

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