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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 120 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: pit · pitch · stand · content · swing · bank · bound · mark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mark — a grade
  7. content — happy
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitch — completely
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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