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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. tube — a container
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — completely
  7. club — a group
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cue — a signal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — letters
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. tube — the underground
  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