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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — of a word
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. season — in sport
  16. cue — a hint
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. root — the cause
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. root — of a plant

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