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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: root · spell · race · mate · cue · dip · sharp · pitch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cue — for pool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. dip — to sink
  6. race — a contest
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — of a word
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitch — completely
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — humankind
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mate — to breed
  22. root — the cause
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cue — a signal

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