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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cue — a hint
  5. root — the cause
  6. pit — a hole
  7. root — of a word
  8. cue — for pool
  9. capital — a city
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a signal
  12. row — a line
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. capital — money
  16. charge — a price
  17. fine — high quality
  18. charge — electricity
  19. root — of a plant
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fine — all right
  23. charge — in control
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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