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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: pitch · last · stick · hide · current · capital · mate · stand

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — finally
  4. pitch — completely
  5. current — of water
  6. capital — money
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stand — to bear
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. last — to go on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. current — electric
  16. mate — a partner
  17. current — happening now
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. capital — a city

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