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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ground — a position
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ball — a great time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — to crush
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pound — a weight

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