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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ground — the earth
  4. present — there
  5. cell — a phone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — a permit
  11. present — a gift
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. present — the time now
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — crushed
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cell — in biology

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