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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · pitch · leaves · cabinet · spring · can

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tube — a container
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — in a tire

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