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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: charge · roll · face · cue · spring · firm · degree · root

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. roll — a cake
  4. degree — from a university
  5. spring — of water
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. face — part of the head
  9. charge — electricity
  10. degree — an amount
  11. firm — decided
  12. roll — a list
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. spring — the season
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. firm — steady
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. degree — temperature
  22. firm — a company
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cue — a signal

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