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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
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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: season · toast · game · chest · roll · cue · firm · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. firm — decided
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chest — of your body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — for pool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chest — a box
  15. firm — a company
  16. toast — bread
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chest — of your body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cue — a signal
  21. firm — steady
  22. roll — a list
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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