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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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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: squash · leaves · stick · root · cue · cold · drill · club

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cold — an illness
  10. club — for golf
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — the sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. drill — army training
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cold — not warm
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — a hint
  23. root — the cause
  24. leaves — to go away

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