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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: file · cue · can · race · ball · snap · cell · root

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — for pool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. race — the arms race
  12. file — a tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. race — a contest
  15. cell — in biology
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. root — of a plant
  18. file — a document
  19. can — a tin
  20. cell — a phone
  21. race — humankind
  22. can — a tin
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ball — a dance

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