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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: game · mug · cue · hand · cabinet · fork · fine · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — wild animals
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. game — a match
  8. mug — a cup
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mug — a face
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cue — a signal
  14. hand — help
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. root — the cause
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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