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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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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: rush · file · tube · arm · rash · track · season · pitch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — to keep track
  3. file — a tool
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — a song
  8. file — a document
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rash — hasty
  15. season — in sport
  16. track — a path
  17. rush — hurry
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. tube — a container
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rash — a series
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rash — on the skin

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