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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: calf · straw · ground · ball · sharp · pitch · fine · tube

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ball — a great time
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ground — a position

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