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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 120 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: bowl · cell · march · arm · suit · scale · current · bark

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bark — to shout
  3. march — the month
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. march — music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. current — happening now
  11. scale — size or range
  12. current — of water
  13. scale — in music
  14. current — electric
  15. suit — to fit
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. suit — in cards

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