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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cue — a signal
  9. root — of a word
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — of a plant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fall — the season
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fall — to drop
  24. root — the cause

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