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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: stick · spell · game · object · fall · pitch · season · tube

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a match
  5. fall — the season
  6. spell — magic
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. object — an aim
  9. season — of the year
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — to protest
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — a thing
  21. tube — the underground
  22. season — in sport
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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