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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. suit — to fit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. root — of a word
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. suit — clothes
  19. root — of a plant
  20. deal — to handle
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. suit — in cards

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