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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: kid · game · fork · cue · pass · root · ball · march

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. root — of a word
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. march — the month
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — for pool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ball — a great time
  13. game — a match
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fork — in a road
  21. root — the cause
  22. kid — child
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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