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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. root — of a word
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. craft — boats
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. root — the cause
  12. mark — a grade
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mark — to pay attention

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