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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: wake · mate · bowl · mark · mug · bay · cue · root

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mug — a face
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mug — a cup
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bowl — a football final

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