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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — a match
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hand — help
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. root — the cause
  21. cue — for pool
  22. root — of a word
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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