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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: pit · cue · bear · pitch · foot · tube · track · press

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. track — a song
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. tube — a container
  8. press — newspapers
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. track — a path
  13. cue — a signal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — in a tire

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