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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. 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. staff — employees
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — decided
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. present — the time now
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. present — a gift
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. firm — steady
  16. ground — crushed
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ground — a position
  23. staff — a stick
  24. 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