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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. game — a match
  4. march — the month
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. march — the month
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. root — of a word
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. march — music
  23. root — the cause
  24. chair — a leader

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