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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: object · face · leaves · calf · ball · ground · hand · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hand — help
  4. face — part of the head
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a dance
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ground — a position
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — to confront
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. object — an aim
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. face — to point toward

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