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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: present · wake · ground · safe · spring · mine · pit · cap

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. spring — of water
  3. present — a gift
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — the earth
  6. present — the time now
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. present — there
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — crushed
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — a position

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