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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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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: swing · root · mate · board · race · cue · fan · fork

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. board — to get on
  6. race — humankind
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a plant
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. swing — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fork — in a road
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. race — a contest
  24. root — of a word

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