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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. row — a line
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a great time
  13. craft — a skill
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. ball — a dance
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cue — for pool
  22. net — in sport
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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