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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: mouse · content · bark · track · perch · mine · wave · fan

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — a song
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. content — happy
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. perch — the fish
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bark — to shout
  22. content — the amount
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. track — a path

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