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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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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: fork · present · cue · cabinet · kick · rash · rush · pitch

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — a series
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kick — in football
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — there
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. present — the time now
  24. kick — with a leg

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