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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: tube · mug · cue · saw · bear · bat · wind · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cue — a signal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bat — the animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mug — a face
  24. bear — the animal

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