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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — to shout
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. root — of a word
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. cue — for pool
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mouse — the animal

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