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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. root — of a word
  3. track — a song
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — the cause
  6. roll — a cake
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. roll — a list
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cue — for pool
  24. racket — for tennis

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