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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: pit · fine · racket · safe · jam · wave · pitcher · mine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — high quality
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fine — all right
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wave — with your hand

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