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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: ground · snap · cue · mate · present · ball · content · trunk

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. present — a gift
  4. snap — to click
  5. content — the amount
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. present — the time now
  8. ground — a position
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ball — a dance
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ball — a great time
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — there
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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