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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · track · fine · trunk · perch · ball · bark · rush

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a dance
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — hurry
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bark — to shout
  18. track — a path
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fine — all right
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — to hurry

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