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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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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. shower — rain
  11. rash — a series
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — a skill
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. hand — help
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mate — a friend
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rash — hasty

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