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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: fork · scale · pass · kick · march · bark · bulb · current

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pass — a permit
  4. current — of water
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. march — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. fork — in a road
  13. scale — in music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bark — to shout
  18. march — the month
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — electric
  22. kick — in football
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kick — with a leg

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