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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: root · cue · track · hand · squash · hide · pit · board

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — a committee
  4. root — of a plant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hand — help
  10. root — the cause
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — of a word
  14. pit — in a race
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cue — for pool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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