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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: perch · pit · club · roll · bark · chest · root · fan

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chest — a box
  6. club — for golf
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pit — a hole
  11. club — for dancing
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bark — to shout
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. roll — a list
  21. root — the cause
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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