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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cap — of ice
  3. last — finally
  4. hand — help
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — of a word
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bass — low music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — to go on
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. last — final
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hand — in cards

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