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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. root — of a word
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cue — a hint
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. root — of a plant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. root — the cause
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rest — what's left
  24. temple — a place of worship

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