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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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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: cue · capital · tube · race · lie · pass · bark · fork

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. capital — money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. capital — a city
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tube — a container
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. race — humankind
  24. pass — a permit

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