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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.

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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: hand · season · wake · mug · board · tube · pitch · bank

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — in cards
  4. board — to get on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — a container
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — a committee
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. season — of the year
  24. mug — a cup

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