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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · sharp · pitch · wind · fine · fan

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. squash — to crush
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fan — a supporter

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