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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. band — a music group
  3. root — of a plant
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — the cause
  14. cue — a signal
  15. file — a document
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. root — of a word
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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