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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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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 · date · root · plane · club · pass · rash · race

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — a series
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. date — the fruit
  12. race — the arms race
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — hasty
  20. race — a contest
  21. cue — a hint
  22. plane — a tool
  23. club — a group
  24. race — humankind

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