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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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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — of a king
  7. swing — to play on
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. swing — music
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bank — for money
  18. board — to get on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. court — for sport
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pitch — a sports field

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