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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 116 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: last · bulb · squash · kid · net · ground · safe · key

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. last — final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — to go on
  6. net — for catching
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — to crush
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — in music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — the sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — the most important part
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ground — the earth
  24. net — in sport

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