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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: pitch · toast · tube · stand · last · deal · bowl · tear

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. last — finally
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. toast — bread
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. tear — to rip
  16. last — to go on
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. tear — from crying
  23. deal — to handle
  24. last — final

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