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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — of a word
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a plant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. pop — music
  13. hand — help
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pop — soda
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. band — a ring

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