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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · bear · mark · perch · mug · trunk · court · rule

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mug — a cup
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. court — of law
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. court — of a king
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rock — music
  21. court — for sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. trunk — of a car

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