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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 · lie · rock · mark · bay · bark · game · root

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lie — to recline
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rock — a stone
  11. root — of a word
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. game — wild animals
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rock — music
  23. root — the cause
  24. game — a match

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