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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: cue · root · nail · key · leaves · mate · perch · band

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. root — the cause
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — for a lock
  12. root — of a word
  13. band — a ring
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. root — of a plant
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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