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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: date · charge · file · mate · safe · degree · ground · mine

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ground — a position
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mine — for digging
  12. degree — from a university
  13. charge — a price
  14. mate — to breed
  15. file — a document
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. charge — in control
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. degree — an amount
  20. charge — electricity
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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