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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: pit · lie · wake · pitch · bound · cue · pitcher · tube

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tube — a container
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bound — certain
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. tube — the underground

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