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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cue — for pool
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a word
  10. can — to be able to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — low music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. race — humankind
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. race — a contest
  23. root — the cause
  24. race — the arms race

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