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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: snap · mark · present · object · date · game · ground · stick

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — there
  5. ground — a position
  6. present — the time now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — the earth
  11. snap — to click
  12. object — a thing
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a trace
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. present — a gift
  23. game — a match
  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