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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: leaves · nail · pitch · stand · mug · bound · wave · field

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mug — to rob
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. field — farmland
  9. mug — a face
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. field — for sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — a subject
  22. pitch — completely
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. leaves — of a tree

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