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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
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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: field · rash · hand · squash · pitch · stand · pit · board

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hand — in cards
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. field — farmland
  8. board — to get on
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pit — in a race
  13. field — for sport
  14. hand — help
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rash — hasty
  20. field — a subject
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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