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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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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: wind · pitch · swing · present · fine · rest · tube · staff

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — to play on
  5. present — a gift
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fine — high quality
  17. present — there
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — all right
  21. present — the time now
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. swing — music
  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