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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: pound · stick · stand · pitcher · toast · track · bat · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — happy
  12. stand — to bear
  13. track — a song
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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