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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · season · track · pitch · land · fan · stand · lean

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — to bear
  9. season — in sport
  10. track — a path
  11. land — to come down
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — a song
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lean — thin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. season — of the year
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitch — completely
  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