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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 120 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: fan · stand · season · foot · pit · file · hand · can

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hand — help
  5. file — a tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — of the year
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. file — a line of people
  16. season — in sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. file — a document
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. can — a tin
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — in cards

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