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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — to bear
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. swing — music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. cap — of ice

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