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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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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 · fan · pop · safe · land · stem · ball · firm

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. land — a country
  3. ball — a great time
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — soda
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — ground
  12. pop — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. land — to come down
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pop — to visit
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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