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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: march · arm · scale · bark · racket · file · trunk · pitcher

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bark — to shout
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. march — the month
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — in music
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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