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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spell — letters
  4. mug — a face
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spell — magic
  9. root — the cause
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. root — of a word
  24. hand — in cards

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