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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: file · wake · sharp · cabinet · bark · cue · pitcher · bulb

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — clever
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a line of people

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