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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: squash · board · pit · kid · mouse · pitch · bay · tube

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. kid — to tease
  9. tube — a container
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. kid — child

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