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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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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: mug · bark · cell · current · club · drill · staff · rock

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. staff — a stick
  3. current — happening now
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — music
  16. current — of water
  17. club — for dancing
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mug — to rob
  23. staff — employees
  24. rock — to move gently

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