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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 120 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: safe · field · pitcher · drill · fall · stick · calf · stand

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — army training
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. field — for sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. safe — a strongbox

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