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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · mine · toast · root · mug · shower · cue · ground

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. march — the month
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. march — the month
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ground — the earth
  12. root — of a word
  13. toast — bread
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. shower — rain
  19. root — the cause
  20. cue — a signal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ground — a position
  24. toast — the most admired

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