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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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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: temple · key · cue · mark · root · roll · wake · race

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cue — a signal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. root — the cause
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — humankind
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cue — a hint
  11. race — the arms race
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. roll — a list
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mark — a grade
  20. root — of a plant
  21. key — in music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. race — a contest
  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