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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. court — of a king
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. shower — to wash
  22. court — of law
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. calf — of the leg

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