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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 116 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: ground · club · wind · pitch · fork · lie · safe · pit

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pit — in a race
  15. club — for golf
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wind — to turn a key

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