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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: lean · tube · can · pitch · scale · mark · chest · stand

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. can — to be able to
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chest — a box
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chest — of your body
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chest — of your body
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stand — on your feet

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