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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 · cabinet · stand · pitch · jam · fall · land · mine

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — the season
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — to drop
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. firm — decided
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. land — a country
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. firm — steady
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. land — ground
  23. pitch — completely
  24. land — to come down

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