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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 116 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: coach · wake · cue · root · drill · bowl · pit · snap

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. root — of a word
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pit — a hole
  8. snap — to click
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cue — for pool
  15. drill — army training
  16. cue — a signal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a football final

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