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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: bound · pit · pitcher · tube · face · mouse · charge · safe

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. charge — electricity
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bound — certain
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pit — a hole
  8. charge — a price
  9. tube — a container
  10. charge — in control
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. face — to confront
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pit — in a race

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