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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: firm · stock · pitch · staff · tube · wind · bound · wake

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — shares
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. tube — a container
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. firm — steady
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. firm — decided
  19. bound — tied together
  20. firm — a company
  21. bound — obliged
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stock — goods

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