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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · staff · bear · tube · perch · ground · prune · court

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. tube — a container
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. court — of a king
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — the fish
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — for sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. staff — employees
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. court — of law

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