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

Word bank: stick · kick · bark · craft · current · rule

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rule — a law
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — in football
  14. current — electric
  15. craft — a skill
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — government
  18. current — happening now

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