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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: dip · court · root · last · pop · swing · cue · rush

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. dip — to sink
  3. root — of a word
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. court — of law
  11. pop — to visit
  12. court — of a king
  13. swing — music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — for sport
  17. pop — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rush — hurry
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. swing — to play on
  24. last — to go on

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