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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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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: bark · craft · file · chip · march · present

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. present — there
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. present — the time now
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. bark — to shout
  11. file — a document
  12. chip — to eat
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. march — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. march — the month
  17. chip — for betting
  18. present — a gift

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