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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — the cause
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — the fish
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — a match
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. root — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — a trace
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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