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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: fall · tube · firm · court · foot · ground · calf · pitch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. court — of law
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fall — the season
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pitch — completely
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — steady
  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