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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: ground · pitch · season · net · object · safe · squash · calf

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ground — crushed
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. squash — to crush
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. object — to protest
  14. net — in sport
  15. object — a thing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. object — an aim
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. calf — a young animal

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