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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: fall · tube · track · pass · cap · pitch · present · perch

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. present — a gift
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — there
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — a container
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — a lid
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — a permit
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. present — the time now
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a path
  24. pass — to succeed

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