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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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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: stand · spell · pitch · lean · bound · drill

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitch — completely

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