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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. current — happening now
  4. fine — all right
  5. current — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. kid — child
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — in music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fine — high quality
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. scale — size or range
  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