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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. spring — the season
  4. mug — a cup
  5. spring — a coil
  6. roll — a cake
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. roll — a list
  9. pit — in a race
  10. spring — of water
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pit — a hole
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. squash — the sport

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