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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pound · firm · lean · land · bay · rash · season

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lean — thin
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. firm — decided
  13. land — a country
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. land — to come down
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rash — on the skin

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