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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: bulb · lean · bark · current · last · scale · game · mouse

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — happening now
  10. last — final
  11. current — of water
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. game — wild animals
  17. last — finally
  18. lean — thin
  19. current — electric
  20. bark — to shout
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lean — to rest against

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