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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 · file · cue · wake · chair · wave · net · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. root — of a word
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. net — for catching
  8. cue — for pool
  9. net — in sport
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. file — a document
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. root — the cause
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. net — after costs
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. file — a tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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