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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: tube · content · spring · wake · stand · land · pitch · lean

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tube — a container
  3. lean — to bend
  4. content — the amount
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. land — a country
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. land — ground
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. tube — the underground

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