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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · prune · bark · stand · fork · safe · ground · pass

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chest — a box
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — a position
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. prune — the fruit

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