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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: bound · charge · file · kid · last · root · cue · jam

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. charge — a price
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bound — certain
  6. cue — a hint
  7. root — of a plant
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. file — a document
  10. last — finally
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kid — to tease
  13. root — of a word
  14. kid — child
  15. file — a tool
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bound — obliged
  21. last — to go on
  22. file — a line of people
  23. last — final
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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