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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: ground · land · safe · rule · stand · saw · spell · pitch

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. spell — magic
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ground — crushed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — government
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — a country
  23. rule — a law
  24. land — to come down

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