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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: race · pit · ground · content · pop · stand · stick · pitch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. race — a contest
  3. pop — soda
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. content — happy
  10. pop — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ground — a position
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ground — crushed

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