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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stand — to bear
  20. kick — in football
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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