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

Word bank: cue · cell · lash · march · season · stand · root · fork

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. root — the cause
  3. march — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. season — in sport
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. root — of a word
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. march — the month
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. march — the month

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