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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: pitcher · fan · season · roll · wake · cue · bark · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. season — in sport
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. roll — a cake
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cue — a signal

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