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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 116 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 · pitch · hand · stand · pitcher · racket · wound · leaves

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — to bear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hand — help
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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