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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: pitch · wake · current · stand · lie · arm · drill · pitcher

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lie — to recline
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. drill — the tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — electric
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. current — of water
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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