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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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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — army training
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cue — for pool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. root — of a word
  15. drill — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — the cause
  19. bass — low music
  20. drill — a practice
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — a permit

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