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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: cue · tube · coach · cabinet · bark · shower · fork · net

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. net — for catching
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. net — after costs
  13. shower — to wash
  14. tube — a container
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. net — in sport
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. shower — rain
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cue — a hint

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