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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: prune · present · safe · pit · ground · racket · pass · key

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. present — there
  3. pass — a permit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — the time now
  12. key — for a lock
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a hole
  23. present — a gift
  24. ground — crushed

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