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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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468
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: root · row · racket · game · cue · chair · cabinet · mug

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mug — to rob
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. game — a match
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mug — a face
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. root — of a plant
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — for pool
  21. root — of a word
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cue — a signal

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