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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · tube · file · kick · swing · rush · deal · can

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tube — the underground
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. can — to be able to
  14. file — a tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a line of people
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a document
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. swing — in golf

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