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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: bowl · root · leaves · cue · cold · court · season · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cold — an illness
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cue — a signal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. season — in sport
  13. cue — a hint
  14. root — the cause
  15. cold — not warm
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. season — of the year
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — for sport

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