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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: rest · squash · chip · net · pitch · saw · safe · ground

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. rest — a break
  2. net — in sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ground — a position
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — the earth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. net — for catching
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ground — crushed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — to eat
  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