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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: toast · can · stick · ruler · chair · land · present · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. land — ground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — the time now
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. land — to come down
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — a gift
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — a country
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a leader
  16. present — there
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — bread

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