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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mouse · stand · pitch · clip · chair · toast · lean

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. net — for catching
  3. clip — to cut
  4. net — after costs
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lean — thin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. clip — a video
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. net — in sport
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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