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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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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 · race · current · bank · bark · squash · clip · toast

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. clip — a video
  3. perch — the fish
  4. squash — the sport
  5. race — a contest
  6. bark — to shout
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — electric
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — the arms race
  13. clip — for paper
  14. current — happening now
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — of water
  18. squash — to crush
  19. race — humankind
  20. toast — bread
  21. bank — of a river
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bank — for money
  24. toast — the most admired

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