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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. last — to go on
  3. current — happening now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. kick — in football
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. drill — the tool
  10. last — final
  11. scale — in music
  12. current — of water
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. board — to get on
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. drill — army training
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. last — finally
  23. board — a flat piece
  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