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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: deal · ground · safe · date · mug · present · mine · spring

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — to rob
  3. spring — the season
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. spring — of water
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ground — crushed
  13. date — the fruit
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ground — a position
  22. mug — a face
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — a gift

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