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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cue — a hint
  3. root — of a word
  4. cue — a signal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pit — in a race
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lean — thin
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — a hole
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. roll — a list
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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