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

Word bank: pitch · stand · file · wind · saw · rule

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. 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. wind — moving air
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rule — a law
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a tool
  14. rule — government
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. 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