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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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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 · cap · mate · fine · swing · stand · squash · chair

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chair — a leader
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mate — to breed
  21. swing — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cap — a hat

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