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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: ground · wake · stand · bat · stick · pitch · wind · rock

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ground — a position
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rock — music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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