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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · cap · fan · staff · bat · squash · cabinet · fall

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. staff — employees
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bat — in an idiom

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