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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · game · cue · snap · trunk · scale · patient · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cue — a hint
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. game — a match
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. game — wild animals
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. root — of a word
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. roll — a list
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. root — the cause
  21. cue — for pool
  22. scale — in music
  23. roll — a cake
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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