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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: lean · bat · tube · can · root · cue · mark · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. can — to be able to
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lean — thin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. root — the cause
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mark — a trace
  19. root — of a word
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. tube — a container
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. root — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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