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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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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: object · tube · hand · cap · cabinet · pitch · jam · face

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hand — in cards
  9. face — part of the head
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — help
  12. cap — a hat
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cabinet — ministers

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