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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · march · chair · bound · stand · pit · trunk · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pit — in a race
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hand — help
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bound — tied together

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