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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: swing · ground · pitch · mate · cell · calf

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cell — a phone
  3. swing — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pitch — completely
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. mate — a friend

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