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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. press — to push
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — goods
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a friend
  12. root — the cause
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. press — a publisher
  16. key — for a lock
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ball — a dance
  21. root — of a plant
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stock — shares
  24. can — a tin

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