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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: stand · pass · pitch · branch · fall · nail · field · rest

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pass — a permit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — for sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fall — to drop

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