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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: craft · court · file · bound · bass · perch · ruler · bark

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — boats
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. court — of law
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ruler — a monarch

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