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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: march · cue · bark · pitch · firm · rush · fan · stock

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stock — goods
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. march — music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — shares
  12. march — the month
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. firm — steady
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. firm — decided
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sports field

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