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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 120 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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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: saw · drill · bat · pitch · safe · ground · calf · branch

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. drill — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ground — a position
  9. branch — a division
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. drill — army training
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitch — completely
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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