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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: net · cap · ball · tube · rest · cabinet · deal · pitch

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cap — a lid
  11. tube — a container
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. net — after costs
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — in sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — an agreement

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