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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.

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: perch · wake · swing · bark · net · pound · pitcher · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. swing — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bark — to shout
  14. swing — in golf
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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