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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. board — to get on
  5. cue — for pool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — a hint
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. root — of a word
  13. board — a committee
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. dip — to sink
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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