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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: firm · pitch · spell · bulb · stand · capital · snap · staff

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. staff — a stick
  3. firm — decided
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stand — to bear
  20. firm — a company
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bulb — for light

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