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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: squash · arm · safe · net · pitcher · prune · racket · mate

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. squash — to crush
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mate — to breed
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mate — a partner
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — a friend
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — after costs
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. prune — to trim

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