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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 120 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: wave · stand · cap · pit · row · club · tube · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. club — a group
  5. tube — a container
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. club — for dancing
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. row — a line
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. club — for golf

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