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

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ground — a position
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. present — a gift
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — to breed
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — a partner
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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