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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — hasty
  4. perch — the fish
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. root — of a word
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mark — a grade
  11. charge — in control
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — electricity
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — a series
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. charge — a price
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fine — all right
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. cue — a signal
  24. root — of a plant

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