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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: hand · lean · pit · bound · stem · net · cue · root

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bound — certain
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cue — for pool
  6. root — of a word
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. root — the cause
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. hand — help
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lean — thin
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. net — after costs
  24. pit — in a race

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