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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cue — a hint
  16. root — of a plant
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. root — the cause
  19. ground — the earth
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. row — a line
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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