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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: fine · mate · tube · cell · band · saw · pitch · toast

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — completely
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — a container
  12. mate — a partner
  13. band — a music group
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. band — a ring
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. toast — bread
  19. fine — all right
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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