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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · calf · pass · rule · ground · wake · lean · season

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ground — a position
  9. season — in sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lean — thin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ground — the earth

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