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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · lean · stick · bank · chair · spring · leaves

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lean — thin
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — electric
  19. pitch — completely
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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