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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: bark · pitch · cabinet · tube · saw · charge · mark · deal

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — a price
  11. tube — the underground
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. charge — in control
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. charge — electricity
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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