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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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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. current — happening now
  3. mug — a cup
  4. present — the time now
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mug — to rob
  8. craft — boats
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. present — a gift
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. current — of water
  15. present — there
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mug — a face
  18. club — for dancing
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for golf
  21. scale — in music
  22. club — a group
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — size or range

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