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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitcher · craft · pitch · can · cold · charge · cue

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — a signal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — in control

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