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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.

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: tube · racket · bear · ground · pitcher · safe · dip · sharp

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — a position
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — crushed
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ground — the earth
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tube — a container

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