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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: cabinet · suit · wound · pitch · bat · rush · stand · plane

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stand — to bear
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — for baseball

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