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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · present · safe · trunk · date · field · bound · mate

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. present — the time now
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bound — certain
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. date — the fruit
  7. present — there
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. field — for sport
  16. mate — a partner
  17. field — farmland
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mate — to breed
  21. field — a subject
  22. present — a gift
  23. mate — a friend
  24. trunk — of a car

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