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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 116 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
468
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 · fall · saw · kick · tube · mine · leaves · staff

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — for digging
  6. staff — employees
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. staff — a stick
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tube — the underground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fall — to drop
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — in football
  20. fall — the season
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitch — completely

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