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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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Word bank
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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: spring · present · safe · pitcher · pit · ground · can · degree

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. can — to be able to
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. present — there
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — the time now
  14. spring — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. present — a gift
  18. can — a tin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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