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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: tube · bulb · pitch · rush · deal · rule · coach · racket

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rule — a law
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rule — government
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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