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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 120 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: wind · fine · content · stand · pitch · tube · present · craft

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitch — completely
  6. present — the time now
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. content — the amount
  10. present — there
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — a skill
  15. present — a gift
  16. fine — all right
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. craft — boats
  19. fine — high quality
  20. content — happy
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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