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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: drill · ground · root · cue · firm · jam · degree · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. firm — decided
  4. degree — from a university
  5. root — of a plant
  6. degree — an amount
  7. drill — the tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cue — a signal
  10. root — the cause
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. drill — a practice
  13. root — of a word
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. drill — army training
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ground — the earth
  21. spell — letters
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — a hint
  24. firm — a company

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