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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: tube · perch · temple · court · staff · rock · spring · bark

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. court — of law
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. court — for sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tube — a container
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. spring — the season
  18. court — of a king
  19. spring — of water
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rock — music
  24. staff — employees

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