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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — for pool
  3. root — of a word
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. chip — for betting
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — the cause
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — the tool
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. root — of a plant
  20. drill — a practice
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. deal — to handle
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cue — a signal

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