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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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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: safe · squash · object · stand · straw · pitch · foot · chest

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. object — to protest
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chest — a box
  21. pitch — completely
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. object — an aim

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