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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: lie · wave · can · court · race · cue · root · club

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. race — a contest
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. race — humankind
  7. court — of law
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — for golf
  11. cue — a signal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — a group
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. race — the arms race
  20. root — the cause
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  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