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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 · bay · pitcher · face · bark · cue · object · toast

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — a hint
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cue — for pool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. object — a thing
  19. toast — bread
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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