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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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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: scale · pitcher · bark · bank · can · field · pit · cue

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bark — to shout
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — for pool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cue — a signal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — in a race

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