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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: bowl · net · face · pop · perch · swing · rest · bark

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. swing — to play on
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. net — for catching
  12. bark — to shout
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — part of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — music
  18. net — after costs
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — in sport
  23. face — to confront
  24. bowl — a dish

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