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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: chest · safe · present · pitch · mouse · pound · pitcher · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chest — a box
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. content — happy
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — a weight
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. present — a gift
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — to hit hard

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