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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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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: drill · bank · pitch · row · net · stand · rush · ground

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a line
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — a position
  12. bank — for money
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — to paddle
  15. net — in sport
  16. ground — the earth
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. net — after costs
  23. drill — the tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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