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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wake — a trail
  12. scale — in music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hand — help
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. can — a tin

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