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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: root · tube · stem · wake · march · spell · pop · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. spell — magic
  5. pop — to visit
  6. root — of a word
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. march — music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cue — for pool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — soda
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pop — music
  16. march — the month
  17. root — the cause
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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