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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: face · swing · present · bat · perch · can · bark · root

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. root — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bat — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. swing — to play on
  15. present — there
  16. root — of a word
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. face — to confront
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. present — a gift
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — part of the head
  23. can — a tin
  24. face — to point toward

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