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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: bay · chip · firm · bark · saw · pitch · field · stand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. field — a subject
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. field — for sport
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. firm — a company
  20. chip — to eat
  21. field — farmland
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitch — completely
  24. firm — steady

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