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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
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: pit · tube · safe · suit · ground · mine · cold · prune

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — a container
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mine — for digging
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ground — a position
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ground — crushed
  24. safe — out of danger

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