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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · rush · cabinet · wound · tube · stand · pitch · racket

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tube — a container
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. toast — bread
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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