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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — help
  12. row — a line
  13. pitch — completely
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. safe — out of danger

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