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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: date · field · bark · roll · calf · charge · cue · cabinet

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cue — a signal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. field — farmland
  9. cue — a hint
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — for sport
  12. bark — to shout
  13. roll — a list
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — electricity
  24. field — a subject

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