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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: pitcher · cabinet · firm · dip · face · present · rock · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — decided
  9. present — a gift
  10. firm — a company
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. present — the time now
  20. firm — steady
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. present — there

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