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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 116 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: game · ground · rash · safe · field · pitch · track · kick

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — a series
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ground — crushed
  9. track — a path
  10. game — a match
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — a position
  16. game — wild animals
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rash — hasty
  21. field — a subject
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitch — completely

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