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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. date — the fruit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — music
  13. capital — money
  14. snap — to click
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — soda
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ground — crushed
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ground — a position
  24. date — on the calendar

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