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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: calf · pop · ground · pitch · wave · season · arm · squash

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — a position
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. squash — the sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pop — soda
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitch — completely
  24. season — to add flavour

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