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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — a hat
  10. clip — for paper
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. clip — a video
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. staff — employees
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. staff — a stick

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