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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cue — a hint
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. scale — in music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cue — for pool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — of water
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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