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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 120 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: squash · pitcher · safe · mate · mine · pound · content · kid

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. content — the amount
  3. squash — to crush
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. kid — child
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. squash — the sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. content — happy
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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