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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: current · file · perch · craft · march · bark

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — of water
  4. bark — to shout
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. current — electric
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird

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