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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.

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: track · perch · pit · bark · clip · ball · racket · mug

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. track — to keep track
  3. clip — for paper
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mug — to rob
  10. clip — a video
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ball — a dance
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a round shape

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