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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: dip · file · sharp · scale · bear · wound · march · bark

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. march — music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. march — the month
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — to shout
  20. file — a tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — the month

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