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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. root — of a word
  3. ball — a great time
  4. race — humankind
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. race — a contest
  10. pass — a permit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. cell — a phone
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. staff — employees
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. staff — employees

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