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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: stand · swing · cap · pitch · rule · pitcher · mark · ground

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — to bear
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rule — a law
  5. swing — music
  6. ground — a position
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mark — a grade
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — a lid

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