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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · mug · rest · hand · safe · game · pitcher · ruler

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fine — all right
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — high quality
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hand — help
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — a break

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