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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. drill — army training
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bark — to shout
  8. craft — a skill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. drill — a practice
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — the tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — electric
  19. staff — employees
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — for dancing
  23. current — of water
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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