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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 116 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: pitch · rock · mug · kid · squash · chair · game · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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 — for spectators
  2. game — wild animals
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stand — to bear
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. kid — child
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chair — a leader
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rock — music
  23. game — a match
  24. chair — a professorship

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