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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: stand · pitch · bear · saw · straw · ground · rest · kick

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. kick — in football
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitch — completely
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ground — a position
  24. kick — a thrill

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