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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: stand · lean · field · pitch · sharp · bark · scale · bowl

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. scale — in music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — for sport
  24. pitch — a sports field

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