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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: fall · stand · trunk · net · bay · pitch · mine · current

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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 — completely
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — happening now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. net — for catching
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — of water
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. current — electric
  23. fall — the season
  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