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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a ring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — the fish
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — completely
  24. degree — temperature

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