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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: toast · fork · press · pitch · arm · stand · wind · firm

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. press — newspapers
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pitch — completely
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stand — to bear
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. press — to push
  18. toast — bread
  19. firm — decided
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wind — moving air

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