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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: rash · game · fan · pitch · can · lie · fall · firm

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a match
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. firm — a company
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. firm — decided
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — steady
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — to recline
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rash — on the skin

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