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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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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: bark · arm · racket · bound · craft · current · scale · mouse

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bound — obliged
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — electric
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. current — of water
  16. scale — in music
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. scale — size or range
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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