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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 120 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 · lean · fork · rest · racket · bear · fan · cap

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — a break
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fork — in a road

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