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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: can · calf · cold · bay · ground · pitch · bank · present

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ground — a position
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitch — a sports field

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