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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: mark · ball · cap · staff · squash · calf · ground · pitch

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a dance
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ball — a great time
  10. squash — the sport
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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