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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 · present · stand · straw · saw · face · chair · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. face — part of the head
  6. present — there
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — the time now
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stand — to bear
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. face — to confront
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chair — a leader

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