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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 · bore · ground · mark · mate · saw · dip · staff

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. dip — to sink
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cue — a hint
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cue — for pool

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