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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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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: pitch · lean · object · sharp · calf · spring · stand · last

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. lean — to bend
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. last — to go on
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lean — thin
  17. spring — the season
  18. last — final
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitch — completely
  24. sharp — with an edge

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