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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: cue · rash · rush · root · row · capital · tube · jam

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. row — a line
  3. capital — a city
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. capital — money
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — for pool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rash — a series
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rash — hasty
  22. root — of a plant
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cue — a hint

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