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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 · suit · wake · game · bulb · hide · root · ground

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. suit — to fit
  5. game — a match
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — the cause
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ground — a position
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. root — of a word
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ground — crushed

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