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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: bark · current · cabinet · squash · pitch · roll · trunk · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bark — to shout
  8. current — of water
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. roll — a list
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. current — happening now
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of a car

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