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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: last · pitch · snap · wound · present · stand · foot · straw

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. snap — to click
  11. stand — to bear
  12. present — there
  13. last — finally
  14. pitch — completely
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. last — to go on
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. present — the time now
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wound — an injury
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. last — final
  24. present — a gift

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