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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 120 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 · rash · deal · can · root · present · rock · bat

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cue — for pool
  7. present — a gift
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. root — the cause
  12. present — the time now
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. present — there
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — of a word

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