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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 120 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: wake · file · cue · mark · bear · root · chip · stick

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cue — a signal
  5. file — a tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chip — for betting
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — the cause
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a hint
  23. root — of a plant
  24. file — a document

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