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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: rule · pitcher · safe · pound · bark · sharp · cue · row

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cue — a hint
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — government
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cue — for pool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. sharp — clever
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rule — a law
  23. pound — a weight
  24. sharp — exactly

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