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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: fan · cabinet · spring · toast · pitch · date · safe · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spring — the season
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ground — a position
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. date — the fruit

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