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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 · spell · trunk · roll · safe · present · ground · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spell — a short time
  8. roll — a cake
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. roll — a list
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. present — there
  14. spell — letters
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. present — a gift
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — the earth
  20. present — the time now
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — out of danger

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