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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. last — to go on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — the sport
  12. shower — rain
  13. tube — the underground
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tube — a container
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. last — finally
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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