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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.

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: scale · bark · current · fine · game · spring · staff · mark

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mark — a grade
  3. current — happening now
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — the season
  8. game — a match
  9. spring — a coil
  10. staff — a stick
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — of water
  15. fine — high quality
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — in music
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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