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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: pitcher · safe · plane · stick · roll · pop · court · squash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — for sport
  3. pop — to visit
  4. court — of a king
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. court — of law
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — a list
  14. squash — to crush
  15. roll — a cake
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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