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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · pitcher · mine · wave · root · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mine — for digging
  4. root — of a plant
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. key — in music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. root — the cause
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. key — the most important part
  18. root — of a word

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