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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
468
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: fan · pit · fall · stand · ground · pop · mate · safe

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pit — a hole
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — a position
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pop — music
  19. fall — the season
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stand — on your feet

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