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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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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: temple · pit · roll · cell · toast · cue · root · tube

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cue — a hint
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cue — for pool
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cell — a phone
  10. root — the cause
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. roll — a list
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — of a word
  18. cell — in biology
  19. root — of a plant
  20. toast — bread
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cue — a signal
  24. tube — a container

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