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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · current · mark · arm · scale · club · march · tear

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. club — a group
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. current — electric
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. scale — in music
  14. march — music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. club — for golf
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. current — happening now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — of water

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