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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: mate · file · pop · roll · cue · safe · rule · root

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pop — music
  5. rule — a law
  6. root — the cause
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pop — soda
  11. root — of a word
  12. mate — a partner
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. root — of a plant
  15. file — a tool
  16. pop — to visit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — government
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mate — to breed
  22. file — a document
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. roll — a list

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