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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: stand · pitch · racket · press · wind · fork · suit · chest

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chest — a box
  5. stand — to bear
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. suit — clothes
  14. press — to push
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chest — of your body

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