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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: cap · stand · board · mine · cell · calf · pitch · fan

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — a committee
  18. pitch — completely
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cap — a lid
  24. calf — a young animal

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