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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: last · mouse · prune · current · bark · bound · chest · scale

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. last — to go on
  3. current — electric
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. current — of water
  11. bound — tied together
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. last — finally
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — to shout
  17. last — final
  18. bound — obliged
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chest — a box
  22. current — happening now
  23. bound — certain
  24. prune — to trim

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