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

Word bank: stand · pitch · staff · row · capital · stick

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — completely
  11. capital — a city
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stand — to bear
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — a line
  17. capital — money
  18. stand — for spectators

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