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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · fan · sharp · mark · cue · root

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — a trace
  3. root — of a word
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cue — a hint
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. sharp — clever

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