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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
468
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: game · tube · wind · cue · root · hand · key · charge

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hand — help
  4. cue — a hint
  5. key — for a lock
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — a container
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cue — for pool
  12. key — in music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — the cause
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. game — a match
  22. charge — in control
  23. cue — a signal
  24. charge — a price

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