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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. season — of the year
  7. root — the cause
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bulb — for light
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. root — of a word
  23. cue — for pool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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