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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: bulb · perch · prune · bark · bear · fan · bowl · rush

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fan — to cool the air

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