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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: rash · plane · suit · mine · stand · season · pitch · bank

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — in cards
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rash — a series
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — belonging to me

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