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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 · court · saw

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

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — army training
  3. court — for sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bound — obliged
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitch — completely
  23. court — of a king
  24. lean — thin

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