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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. root — of a word
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. present — a gift
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. root — the cause
  18. mate — a partner
  19. club — a group
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — for golf
  24. bowl — a football final

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