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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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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: date · foot · stand · pitch · arm · mate · chip · wind

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chip — for betting
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chip — to eat
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mate — a friend
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mate — a partner
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. foot — part of the body
  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