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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: perch · bark · wound · rock · ruler · kick · bowl · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. net — in sport
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. net — for catching
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rock — a stone

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