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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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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 · pitch · fan · fall · current · pound · kick · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitch — completely
  3. current — happening now
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — to bear
  12. kick — in football
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mate — a friend
  15. current — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fall — the season
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stand — for spectators

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