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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · cue · jam · date · wind · coach · root · track

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. track — to keep track
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — for pool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. root — of a plant
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — a path
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. root — of a word
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — a song
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — the cause
  24. wind — to turn a key

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