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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: hide · firm · pitch · bound · stand · last · content · chest

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. content — the amount
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. last — finally
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chest — of your body
  14. last — final
  15. stand — to bear
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. firm — decided
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chest — a box
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — to go on
  24. hide — animal skin

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