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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 116 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 · object · staff · mark · drill · ground · saw · bay

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mark — a grade
  3. object — a thing
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ground — the earth
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — an aim
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cue — a signal
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — for pool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — to protest
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mark — a trace

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