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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: coach · kick · pitch · chest · rest · can · track · stand

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a song
  8. pitch — completely
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stand — to bear
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rest — a break
  24. can — to be able to

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