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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · mouse · pitcher · pit · land · present · ground · safe

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. present — the time now
  10. ground — a position
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pit — in a race
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — there
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. ground — the earth

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