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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.

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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: mark · board · pit · perch · bark · degree · kick · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — in football
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. degree — temperature
  20. board — to get on
  21. pit — in a race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. degree — from a university

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