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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: pitcher · clip · wake · safe · suit · content · ground · pound

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. clip — a video
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — a position
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — a trail
  16. content — the amount
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. content — happy
  21. suit — clothes
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. suit — in cards

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