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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: cap · stand · fine · fan · file · field · pitch · deal

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. file — a tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stand — to bear
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. deal — an agreement

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