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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: object · mate · fork · ground · spell · trunk · present · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. object — to protest
  3. mate — a partner
  4. object — a thing
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — there
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spell — magic
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — a position
  21. present — the time now
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fork — in a road
  24. present — a gift

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