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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: sharp · game · cue · spell · nail · foot · root · mark

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. root — of a plant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. root — the cause
  9. cue — a hint
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — a match
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. spell — letters
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — magic
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cue — a signal
  24. game — wild animals

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