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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
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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: pitch · game · pop · rest · leaves · coach · date · stand

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rest — a break
  4. pop — to visit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — soda
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. date — the fruit
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. game — a match
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. date — on the calendar

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