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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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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: mark · last · pit · stock · band · pitcher · stand · pound

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stock — shares
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mark — a trace
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — goods
  10. last — finally
  11. band — a music group
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. last — final
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mark — a grade
  24. band — a ring

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