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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 120 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: cue · charge · cell · degree · pass · pop · fine · root

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pop — music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. charge — a price
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — a permit
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fine — all right
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cell — a phone
  23. root — of a plant
  24. degree — temperature

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