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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — for pool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. root — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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