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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · fine · season · sharp · current · mine · squash · safe

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fine — all right
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. season — in sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — crushed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — the earth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — electric
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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