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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: pitch · field · roll · kick · plane · firm · cell · safe

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. roll — a list
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. roll — a cake
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitch — completely
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. firm — decided
  19. cell — in biology
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. kick — in football
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cell — a phone

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