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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 · bear · cabinet · pop · lean · stand · can · mark

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pop — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — soda
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stand — to bear

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