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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: drill · swing · bulb · leaves · bark · perch · bear · firm

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. firm — steady
  3. drill — the tool
  4. swing — music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. firm — decided
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. firm — a company
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. drill — army training
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. drill — a practice
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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