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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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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 · saw · cap · bulb · pitch · ground · cue · wind

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a hat

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