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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 · key · bore · drill · stock · bark · craft · spell

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — a practice
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. spell — letters
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — magic
  10. drill — army training
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — the most important part
  17. craft — boats
  18. bore — to drill
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stock — shares
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — to shout

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