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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 116 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 · pop · staff · spring · lie · stand · fine · board

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. board — a committee
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stand — to bear
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fine — high quality
  13. spring — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. staff — employees
  22. spring — of water
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — to recline

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