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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · kid · cue · dip · fine · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. kid — to tease
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fine — all right
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fine — high quality
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kid — child
  15. rock — music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. dip — to sink
  18. 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