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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: spring · bore · stick · ground · prune · tube

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. 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. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ground — a position
  5. tube — a container
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. 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