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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: safe · roll · pit · ball · plane · bat · wave · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a dance
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ball — a great time
  10. roll — a cake
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pit — in a race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bat — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. roll — a list

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