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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 120 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 · coach · fork · kid · ground · rash · branch · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — a division
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — the earth
  17. kid — child
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rash — a series
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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