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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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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: hide · pit · toast · swing · tube · last · pitch · stem

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. last — finally
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — a container
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. last — to go on
  11. swing — music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. tube — the underground
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. toast — bread
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — final
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pitch — completely

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