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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: firm · stand · pitch · mark · last · bound · pass · season

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. firm — decided
  3. pitch — completely
  4. last — final
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pass — a permit
  9. last — to go on
  10. firm — steady
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. last — finally
  16. stand — to bear
  17. season — in sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — of the year
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bound — certain
  22. firm — a company
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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