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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. file — a line of people
  4. craft — boats
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — a break
  9. root — the cause
  10. cue — a hint
  11. capital — a city
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — to crush
  17. file — a tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — of a word
  20. capital — money
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. craft — a handicraft

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