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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: stand · press · last · rash · game · tube · pitcher · bulb

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — a match
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. game — wild animals
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rash — a series
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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