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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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468
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: lie · cabinet · ground · wake · safe · pitcher · stick · pitch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ground — a position
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitcher — a jug

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