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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cue — a hint
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — to drill
  11. present — a gift
  12. rock — a stone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. present — there
  16. cue — for pool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. object — an aim
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. object — a thing
  24. bore — to tire

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