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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 are we going to ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cue — a signal
  3. root — the cause
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a word
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — a country
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. swing — music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. land — ground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — for pool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rash — hasty

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