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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. root — of a word
  3. firm — a company
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — all right
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. firm — decided
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — high quality
  15. root — of a plant
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — the cause
  18. firm — steady
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. cue — for pool
  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