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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 · ball · ground · safe · racket · kick · coach · bass

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ground — a position
  4. ball — a dance
  5. kick — in football
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ball — a great time
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bass — low music
  24. kick — a thrill

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