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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: pitch · chest · stand · rest · plane · fan · swing · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — music
  3. chest — a box
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. suit — to fit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — to bear
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — a break
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — completely

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