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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. root — the cause
  10. suit — in cards
  11. root — of a word
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wake — a trail
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — a series
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rash — hasty
  23. swing — music
  24. suit — to fit

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