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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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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: board · cap · ruler · mate · tube · chip · pitch · stand

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tube — a container
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. board — to get on
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — a friend
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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