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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: mine · bulb · mouse · prune · pit · file · pound · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. pound — a weight
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mouse — for a computer

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