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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: bark · present · pitch · charge · cell · cabinet · track · wave

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cell — in biology
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. track — a path
  14. present — there
  15. charge — a price
  16. present — the time now
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — in control
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. track — a song

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