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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 120 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 · pit · lean · foot · sharp · pitch · stock · object

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stand — to bear
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lean — thin
  8. object — to protest
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — goods
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — shares
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — for spectators

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