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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rock — music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bat — the animal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. toast — bread
  15. rock — a stone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mug — a face
  24. ground — a position

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