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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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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 · leaves · saw · charge · wind · pitch · cue · bark

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. charge — in control
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — a price
  15. fork — in a road
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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