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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: pitch · stand · fine · mouse · bank · face · cold · present

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. present — a gift
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fine — high quality
  24. face — to confront

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