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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ground — crushed
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. toast — bread
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — there

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