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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lean — thin
  7. march — the month
  8. tear — to rip
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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