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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — the season
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cue — a signal
  8. band — a music group
  9. root — the cause
  10. spring — a coil
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cue — for pool
  13. root — of a word
  14. spring — of water
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. band — a ring
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fork — in a road

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