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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: ground · mate · nail · rock · tear · suit · date · mug

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ground — the earth
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mug — a cup
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mug — to rob
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ground — crushed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mug — a face
  24. rock — to move gently

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