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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: bay · spring · scale · stand · pitch · hand · firm · wound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. firm — steady
  4. stand — to bear
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. firm — a company
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — decided
  17. pitch — completely
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. hand — help
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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