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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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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. firm — decided
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — a match
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. capital — money
  12. file — a tool
  13. firm — steady
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. kick — in football
  17. file — a document
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pitch — completely
  21. capital — a city
  22. wake — a trail
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. firm — a company

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