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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: kick · drill · craft · current · bark · bulb · key · stick

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. current — of water
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. key — in music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. drill — army training

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