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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: rock · tube · cue · craft · pitch · lie · bark · rush

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rock — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lie — to recline
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rock — a stone
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. craft — boats
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — hurry

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