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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 120 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: stand · pitch · stick · mark · wound · track · rest · bat

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. track — a path
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mark — a grade
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rest — a break

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