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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. root — of a word
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — a position
  6. march — the month
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a path
  24. wake — a trail

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