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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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 word
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — the time now
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. root — the cause
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — of a king
  22. current — happening now
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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