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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: deal · kid · lean · stand · net · mate · pitch · object

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lean — thin
  3. net — for catching
  4. object — to protest
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. net — after costs
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. object — a thing
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stand — to bear
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. object — an aim
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. net — in sport
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mate — a friend

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