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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fine — all right
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — army training
  15. ground — crushed
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ground — a position

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