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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: bark · bank · pop · rule · perch · racket · wind · rush

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pop — soda
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rule — a law
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rule — government
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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