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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — a signal
  3. root — of a word
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. key — the most important part
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pop — soda
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hand — help
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — in football
  20. key — for a lock
  21. root — of a plant
  22. plane — a tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a hint

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