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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: bound · file · stand · pitch · straw · snap · mug · temple

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bound — certain
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mug — a cup
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. file — a tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bound — obliged
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitch — completely
  17. snap — to click
  18. file — a line of people
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mug — to rob
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — a sports field

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