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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: ruler · bound · pitch · trunk · jam · capital · stand · last

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bound — obliged
  6. capital — a city
  7. last — final
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — certain
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stand — to bear
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. last — finally
  17. capital — money
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — tied together
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — to go on

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