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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. root — of a word
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spell — a short time
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cue — a hint
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. root — the cause
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cell — in a prison

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