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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: file · degree · coach · cue · rash · root · deal · row

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. file — a document
  6. row — a line
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. cue — a hint
  10. file — a line of people
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. root — the cause
  16. row — to paddle
  17. file — a tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cue — a signal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — for pool

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