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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.

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468
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: cell · current · bark · mark · hide · club · bat · march

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. current — of water
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. march — music
  9. club — for golf
  10. march — the month
  11. current — happening now
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. current — electric
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. club — a group

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