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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: tube · court · key · root · last · deal · cue · content

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. last — final
  6. root — the cause
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cue — a hint
  9. key — in music
  10. content — happy
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cue — a signal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. court — of a king
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. cue — for pool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. court — of law
  23. content — the amount
  24. root — of a plant

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