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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: squash · bound · pitch · lash · firm · cabinet · mark · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bound — obliged
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — tied together
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mark — a grade

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