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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
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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: squash · jam · content · last · pitcher · tube · mouse · safe

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. last — to go on
  15. content — the amount
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. content — happy
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — a container
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. squash — the sport
  24. last — final

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