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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: stand · field · pitch · last · suit · row · current · leaves

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. current — happening now
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. row — a line
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitch — completely
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. field — a subject
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — of water
  21. field — for sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. stand — to bear

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