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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · rock · charge · rest · fan · stand · game · pitch

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. charge — a price
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — in control
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — music
  20. game — a match
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rock — a stone
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pitch — completely

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