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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: foot · mine · rash · stand · leaves · hand · pitch · cabinet

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — help
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mine — for digging
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — part of the body

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