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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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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: last · stand · bound · calf · bowl · cue · root · mark

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. root — the cause
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. last — finally
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bound — certain
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bowl — a dish

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