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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: fork · staff · fine · hide · wind · rule · tube · pitch

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — a container
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fine — all right
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rule — a law
  8. staff — employees
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — government
  24. hide — to keep secret

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