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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: ground · fork · spring · present · hand · staff · bear · cue

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. present — the time now
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ground — a position
  6. bear — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hand — help
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cue — a signal
  12. present — there
  13. spring — the season
  14. present — a gift
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — for pool
  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