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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 · ground · drill · row · dip · ruler · roll · bear

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ground — a position
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ground — the earth
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ground — crushed
  14. row — a line
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. drill — army training
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bear — the animal

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