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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: leaves · current · pitch · hand · foot · bank · spring · stand

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hand — in cards
  3. current — happening now
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — help
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bank — of a river
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hand — part of the body

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