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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: pit · fan · row · ground · nail · stand · arm · toast

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — the earth
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. row — a line
  11. ground — a position
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. toast — bread
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stand — to bear

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