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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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468
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cue — a hint
  3. hand — help
  4. charge — a price
  5. root — of a word
  6. fork — in a road
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. root — the cause
  14. season — in sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. object — an aim
  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