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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 · deal · saw · wound · present · fork · racket · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. present — a gift
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. present — the time now
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — there
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wound — an injury
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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