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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: cell · bark · pop · wake · cabinet · ruler · stock · pitcher

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. pop — soda
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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