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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: roll · perch · stand · season · bark · pound · plane · suit

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. perch — the fish
  4. suit — clothes
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pound — a weight
  11. suit — to fit
  12. season — of the year
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stand — to bear
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. season — in sport

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