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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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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 · nail · dip · cold · root · ground · present · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — a position
  7. root — of a word
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cold — an illness
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ground — the earth
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. root — the cause
  18. present — there
  19. cue — for pool
  20. present — the time now
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. present — a gift
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cold — not warm

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