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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mark · hand · charge · racket · safe · ball · cue

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. root — the cause
  5. charge — a price
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hand — help
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cue — a signal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — electricity
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a great time
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — in control
  24. mark — a trace

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