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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: ground · safe · pitch · game · club · stand · land · hide

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — a position
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. game — wild animals
  12. land — a country
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — crushed
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. club — for golf
  20. game — a match
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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