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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: ground · mouse · prune · bark · perch · foot · kid · nail

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ground — a position
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. perch — the fish
  15. foot — a measure
  16. kid — child
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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