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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: row · root · snap · cue · tube · degree · charge · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. degree — an amount
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. degree — from a university
  5. row — a line
  6. cue — a signal
  7. snap — to click
  8. tube — a container
  9. charge — in control
  10. mug — a face
  11. cue — a hint
  12. root — the cause
  13. cue — for pool
  14. root — of a plant
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. row — to paddle
  17. charge — a price
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. root — of a word
  20. tube — the underground
  21. degree — temperature
  22. charge — electricity
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mug — a cup

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