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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
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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: can · scale · cue · snap · race · season · mate · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. root — of a word
  4. mate — a partner
  5. race — a contest
  6. can — a tin
  7. cue — a signal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. race — humankind
  10. cue — a hint
  11. can — to be able to
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mate — a friend
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mate — to breed
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — in sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. snap — to click
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — the arms race
  23. scale — in music
  24. season — of the year

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