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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: fan · stand · bear · pound · cabinet · suit · pitcher · fine

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fine — all right
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — to bear

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