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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: net · cap · fan · suit · file · stand · pitch · wind

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. net — for catching
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. file — a document
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. net — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — after costs
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stand — to bear

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