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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: pitch · fine · chest · hand · stand · sharp · chair · saw

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fine — all right
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fine — high quality
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hand — help
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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