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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: fork · jam · pit · pitch · lie · stand · band · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. band — a music group
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chair — a leader
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. jam — in traffic

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