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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pit — in a race
  7. squash — the sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pit — a hole
  12. spell — a short time
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hand — help
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. roll — a list
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spell — letters

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