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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
468
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: stand · board · chest · fan · pitch · pitcher · arm · mark

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — to get on
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chest — a box
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — a committee
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stand — on your feet

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