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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. root — of a word
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — the cause
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rest — a break
  19. key — in music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. root — of a plant
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. rest — what's left

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