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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: mark · mug · ground · fork · kid · leaves · cue · prune

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. kid — to tease
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ground — the earth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kid — child
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mug — a cup
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mug — a face
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fork — a garden tool

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