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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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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: cap · cold · tube · drill · pass · track · root · cue

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. track — to keep track
  3. root — the cause
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — a path
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. root — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tube — a container
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cap — of ice
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. root — of a word
  23. cue — for pool
  24. drill — army training

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