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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ground — the earth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — a position
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — to crush
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. snap — to click
  24. ball — a great time

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