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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: perch · roll · fan · toast · present · rock · deal · bark

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. perch — the fish
  13. present — a gift
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. deal — to handle
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rock — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. roll — a list
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — an agreement

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