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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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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: cue · rush · root · fork · season · last · coach · current

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cue — a signal
  3. last — to go on
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cue — for pool
  6. last — finally
  7. current — electric
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rush — hurry
  10. current — happening now
  11. root — of a plant
  12. season — in sport
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — of the year
  17. last — final
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fork — in a road
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. current — of water
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — a thrill

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