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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: mine · net · rash · fan · game · stand · pitch · bear

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. net — after costs
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rash — a series
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mine — for digging
  23. game — a match
  24. net — for catching

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