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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 · net · root · face · ball · squash · tube · mine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. tube — a container
  2. squash — to crush
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — of a word
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mine — for digging
  10. net — for catching
  11. cue — a hint
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tube — the underground
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. face — part of the head
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. root — of a plant
  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