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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: craft · current · kid · cabinet · track · bark · sharp · scale

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. craft — boats
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. track — a path
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — clever
  19. kid — child
  20. bark — to shout
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. sharp — with an edge

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