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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: bear · firm · perch · rush · game · bark · rash · dip

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. firm — decided
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. firm — a company
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. game — a match
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. game — wild animals

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