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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.

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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: court · roll · pop · mouse · squash · pit · track · safe

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. track — a song
  3. roll — a cake
  4. track — a path
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — the sport
  9. court — of law
  10. squash — to crush
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. court — of a king
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — for sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. roll — a list
  20. pit — in a race
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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