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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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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: foot · spring · cue · fork · stick · present · ground · bore

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ground — a position
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bore — to drill
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. present — there
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cue — for pool
  20. present — a gift
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — the season
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ground — the earth

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