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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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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: firm · kid · root · pass · object · cue · file · chest

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. firm — decided
  3. file — a document
  4. chest — of your body
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. firm — a company
  10. root — the cause
  11. cue — for pool
  12. file — a tool
  13. chest — a box
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — a signal
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. root — of a word
  21. firm — steady
  22. kid — child
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cue — a hint

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