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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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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: stand · pitcher · cell · fork · kick · race

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fork — in a road
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. kick — in football
  11. race — a contest
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — to bear
  15. race — humankind
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — with a leg

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