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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · file · perch · craft · march · bark · chip · cap

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bark — to shout
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. march — music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cap — of ice
  10. current — electric
  11. chip — for betting
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. current — happening now
  15. craft — a skill
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. current — of water
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a lid
  24. craft — boats

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