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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: pitch · ground · staff · cabinet · calf · net · stem · coach

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. net — after costs
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — crushed
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ground — a position
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — in sport
  24. calf — of the leg

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