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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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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: staff · tube · bulb · arm · pitch · band · rush · deal

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — the underground
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a music group
  15. staff — employees
  16. deal — to handle
  17. tube — a container
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitch — completely
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — a thrill
  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