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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.

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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. root — of a word
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cue — for pool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. root — the cause
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stock — goods
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pit — a hole
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stock — a soup base

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