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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stand — to bear
  8. land — a country
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pitch — completely
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wind — moving air
  21. land — to come down
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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