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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: safe · clip · mouse · cell · net · firm · pitcher · wave

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. clip — a video
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. clip — for paper
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — decided
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. net — for catching
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. net — in sport
  24. clip — to cut

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