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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: wind · rock · march · cue · rush · bear · net · fork

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cue — a signal
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. net — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. march — music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rock — music
  24. fork — in a road

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