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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: game · pitcher · squash · mate · pass · bat · jam · safe

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. game — a match
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — a permit
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. game — wild animals
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mate — a partner
  24. squash — to crush

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