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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. root — of a word
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. root — the cause
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. kick — in football
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cue — a hint

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