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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. cue — a hint
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — electricity
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — the cause
  12. fine — high quality
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. charge — in control
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. charge — a price
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cue — a signal
  23. root — of a word
  24. ruler — a monarch

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