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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: capital · snap · safe · hide · bound · pitch · squash · calf

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — the sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. capital — money
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. capital — a city
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitch — completely
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bound — tied together
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. squash — to crush
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to click

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