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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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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: cap · foot · root · fork · cue · bulb · hand · game

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — of ice
  9. game — a match
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. root — of a word
  20. hand — help
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cap — a lid

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