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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 116 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: root · cue · game · kick · hide · ruler · deal · board

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kick — in football
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a committee
  7. root — of a word
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — to get on
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. root — of a plant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ruler — for measuring

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