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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. hand — help
  3. firm — a company
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mug — a cup
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. suit — clothes
  11. net — after costs
  12. last — final
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — to go on
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mug — to rob
  17. last — finally
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitch — completely
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — to bear

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