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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: pitch · date · lean · race · ground · perch · pass · stand

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. race — a contest
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pass — a permit
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. ground — the earth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — thin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ground — a position
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. race — humankind

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