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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · rash · pitch · tube · fine · wave · court · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. 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. object — a thing
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. object — to protest
  7. rash — a series
  8. object — an aim
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — for sport
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tube — a container
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. court — of a king
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. court — of law
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fine — high quality
  24. 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