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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: pitch · stand · game · mouse · nail · hide · band · fan

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. band — a music group
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. game — a match
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — a supporter

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