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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. court — for sport
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. root — the cause
  9. craft — boats
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stock — goods
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. root — of a word
  17. court — of a king
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cue — a hint
  22. court — of law
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cue — for pool

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