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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: spring · stand · rule · calf · straw · root · cue · squash

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. root — the cause
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cue — a signal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. root — of a word
  9. squash — to crush
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. spring — the season
  15. rule — government
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rule — a law
  24. cue — a hint

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