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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pop — music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spring — the season
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — of water
  16. bank — of a river
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. current — happening now
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pop — soda
  21. cue — for pool
  22. current — electric
  23. snap — to click
  24. current — of water

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