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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 116 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: season · stock · face · pitch · board · stand · coach · key

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. board — to get on
  3. season — of the year
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stand — to bear
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. face — to confront
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitch — completely
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stock — goods
  15. season — in sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stock — shares
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — a committee
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitch — a sports field

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