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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: craft · object · drill · sharp · perch · pop · face · bark

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. drill — army training
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pop — music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pop — soda
  10. face — to point toward
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bark — to shout
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. object — an aim
  19. craft — boats
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. object — to protest
  23. drill — a practice
  24. object — a thing

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