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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: pitcher · pitch · court · cap · calf · safe · game · mark

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cap — of ice
  15. game — wild animals
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. court — of a king
  20. game — a match
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — a trace

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