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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 120 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 · swing · pitch · can · cue · plane · staff · wind

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wind — moving air
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cue — for pool
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. plane — in geometry

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