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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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468
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: pitcher · pound · lean · stand · mate · foot · fine · mark

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fine — all right
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — the bottom

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