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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 · dip · last · bat · coach · root · mine · wake

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. cue — a signal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wake — a trail
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — finally
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. dip — to sink
  14. root — the cause
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. last — final
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. last — to go on
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cue — for pool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — an explosive

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