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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: content · stick · bark · racket · scale · prune · snap · current

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. scale — in music
  11. current — electric
  12. content — the amount
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. content — happy
  17. bark — to shout
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. current — of water
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — happening now
  24. bark — of a tree

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