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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · safe · nail · pitch · ground · mate · shower · squash

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pitch — completely
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — a partner
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mate — to breed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. shower — rain
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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