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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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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 · saw · hand · ground · safe · mark · mine · bass

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ground — the earth
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ground — a position
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cue — a hint
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a grade
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — help
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mine — an explosive

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