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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chip — to eat
  6. last — final
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — for betting
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ground — crushed
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. last — to go on
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tube — a container
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — a strongbox

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