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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: nail · rush · net · suit · bound · bark · race · cue

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. net — in sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rush — hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — for catching
  13. bound — certain
  14. bark — to shout
  15. race — the arms race
  16. suit — to fit
  17. race — humankind
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — a contest
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bark — of a tree

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