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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 120 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: bark · scale · pound · stand · foot · hide · spell · perch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. spell — letters
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. perch — the fish
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — size or range
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. spell — magic
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stand — on your feet

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