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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · squash · root · cue · game · ground · mate · craft

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. cue — a hint
  2. shower — rain
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. root — the cause
  5. ground — the earth
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. squash — to crush
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. game — a match
  10. mate — a friend
  11. game — wild animals
  12. root — of a word
  13. ground — a position
  14. mate — to breed
  15. shower — to wash
  16. squash — the sport
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — a partner
  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