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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: kid · stand · safe · bat · object · calf · fall · pitch

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — child
  5. object — a thing
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fall — the season
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. object — to protest
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — an aim
  24. stand — on your feet

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