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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: deal · mark · ball · row · pitcher · jam · rest · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. mark — a grade
  3. rest — a break
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mark — a trace
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. deal — to handle
  10. row — a line
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  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