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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — all right
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. root — the cause
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a hint
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pop — soda
  24. root — of a word

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