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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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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: dip · saw · stem · suit · row · cue · net · ground

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. row — a line
  3. stem — to come from
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. suit — clothes
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. suit — in cards
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. cue — a signal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ground — the earth
  18. net — in sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cue — a hint
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. row — to paddle

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