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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 · bark · board · ball · mark · rush · spell · press

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. spell — a short time
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ball — a dance
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spell — magic
  10. board — a committee
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. board — to get on
  13. spell — letters
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. press — to push
  19. mark — a trace
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bark — to shout
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mark — a grade

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