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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cue — for pool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. can — to be able to
  12. root — of a word
  13. drill — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. root — the cause
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitch — completely
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. prune — to trim

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