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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: cue · jam · root · row · bark · band · mouse · rock

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bark — to shout
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. root — of a word
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rock — music
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rock — a stone
  17. row — a line
  18. root — the cause
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. band — a music group
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mouse — the animal

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