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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: ground · rush · mine · mate · suit · patient · content · date

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. content — happy
  5. mine — for digging
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — a friend
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — clothes
  15. content — the amount
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ground — the earth
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ground — crushed
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. patient — a sick person

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