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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: fork · bear · rush · cap · cue · field · root · shower

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. root — the cause
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. field — for sport
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. field — farmland
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. root — of a word

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