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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spring — the season
  6. row — to paddle
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cue — a hint
  9. root — of a word
  10. row — a line
  11. file — a line of people
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. file — a tool
  18. spring — a coil
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. file — a document
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fall — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. nail — on a finger

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