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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 120 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 · row · spring · club · root · calf · rush · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — a group
  6. row — a line
  7. rush — hurry
  8. root — the cause
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spring — of water
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. club — for dancing
  24. row — to paddle

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