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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: ground · cue · game · mug · degree · tear · pass · drill

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pass — a permit
  4. game — a match
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ground — crushed
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cue — a signal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cue — for pool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ground — a position
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — army training
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. drill — the tool
  24. degree — an amount

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