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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: rash · pass · pitcher · trunk · file · bulb · bark · firm

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rash — a series
  12. firm — steady
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. firm — decided
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. firm — a company
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pass — to spend time

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