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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: stand · lie · pit · current · field · can · foot · pitcher

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — happening now
  4. lie — to recline
  5. field — farmland
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. field — a subject
  9. current — of water
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. foot — a measure
  22. current — electric
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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