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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: can · club · wound · pop · perch · ground · bark · rush

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. ground — the earth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — a tin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ground — a position
  7. club — for dancing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. club — for golf
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pop — soda
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pop — music

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