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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: wake · date · content · jam · cue · root · plane · pop

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — a signal
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cue — for pool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. cue — a hint
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. content — happy
  12. pop — music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pop — soda
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. content — the amount
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. date — the fruit
  22. root — of a plant
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. 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