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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 116 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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pound — a weight
  4. court — for sport
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a word
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — a signal
  11. craft — boats
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cue — a hint
  16. craft — a skill
  17. court — of a king
  18. root — the cause
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — certain
  22. court — of law
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — of a plant

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