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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 116 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: race · bark · spring · calf · scale · current · firm · content

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. current — happening now
  4. firm — a company
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. current — of water
  12. firm — steady
  13. content — happy
  14. spring — the season
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. current — electric
  18. bark — to shout
  19. content — the amount
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. firm — decided
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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