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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: pitch · mouse · land · ball · calf · rule · stand · game

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — government
  8. land — to come down
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a match
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitch — a sports field

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