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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: land · ground · cue · suit · bay · mark · row · root

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ground — the earth
  3. suit — in cards
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. land — ground
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cue — for pool
  11. root — the cause
  12. cue — a hint
  13. root — of a plant
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ground — a position
  18. suit — to fit
  19. land — to come down
  20. cue — a signal
  21. root — of a word
  22. suit — clothes
  23. land — a country
  24. mark — to pay attention

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