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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: suit · arm · cue · calf · root · fine · pop · ground

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ground — crushed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pop — to visit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. suit — clothes
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. root — the cause
  16. pop — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — a position
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pop — soda
  23. root — of a word
  24. cue — a signal

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