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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
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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: court · toast · lean · calf · pitch · pitcher · safe · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to bend
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — a practice
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. court — of a king
  10. lean — thin
  11. toast — bread
  12. court — for sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. drill — army training
  17. pitch — completely
  18. court — of law
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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