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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: nail · can · degree · arm · current · bark · cue · rock

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. degree — temperature
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. current — happening now
  15. cue — a hint
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — of water
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rock — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bark — to shout
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — a signal

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