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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
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 · cabinet · bear · spring · wind · tube · date · suit

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tube — a container
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bear — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — of water

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