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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: foot · safe · object · pitch · ground · roll · shower · cabinet

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ground — crushed
  8. shower — rain
  9. object — an aim
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. foot — a measure
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pitch — completely
  18. object — a thing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — a list
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. safe — out of danger

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