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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. swing — to play on
  4. craft — boats
  5. root — of a word
  6. mug — a cup
  7. craft — a skill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mug — to rob
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. court — for sport
  12. swing — music
  13. court — of law
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cue — a hint
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cue — a signal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. mug — a face
  21. degree — from a university
  22. court — of a king
  23. game — wild animals
  24. root — the cause

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