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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 · deal · ruler · field · cabinet · cue · sharp · pitch

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — a subject
  7. deal — to handle
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cue — for pool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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