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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.

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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: safe · bowl · bark · fine · branch · deal · current · scale

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — of water
  3. fine — high quality
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. branch — a division
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. current — electric
  13. bark — to shout
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — in music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fine — all right
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. scale — size or range
  24. deal — an agreement

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