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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 · pitch · ruler · hand · bowl · mine · safe · game

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. game — a match
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. hand — help
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a kind of play

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