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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.

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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: cue · scale · toast · coach · kick · tube · root · charge

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — size or range
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tube — the underground
  13. charge — a price
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. tube — a container
  18. cue — a hint
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. coach — a trainer

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