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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: row · rule · wave · court · track · object · pitch · tube

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. tube — a container
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. court — of a king
  5. track — a song
  6. pitch — completely
  7. object — to protest
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rule — a law
  13. court — of law
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. row — a line
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — government
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. court — for sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. track — a path
  24. row — to paddle

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