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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 120 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: deal · pit · safe · ground · chest · cue · suit · season

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. season — of the year
  9. pit — a hole
  10. deal — to handle
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — in a race
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — in sport
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chest — a box
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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