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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. firm — decided
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — a company
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lie — to recline
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. firm — steady
  24. ball — a great time

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