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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. club — a group
  3. current — happening now
  4. club — for dancing
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — of water
  7. club — for golf
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. file — a line of people
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. file — a document
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. file — a tool
  24. current — electric

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