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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 116 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 · nail · pitcher · season · rush · file · tube

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a lid
  4. file — a line of people
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rush — hurry
  7. season — of the year
  8. file — a tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. tube — a container
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a document
  15. cap — of ice
  16. net — after costs
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — for catching
  19. cap — a hat
  20. tube — the underground
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — in sport
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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