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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.

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: mate · staff · pound · mark · pitcher · mouse · safe · rock

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — to breed
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. staff — employees
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rock — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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