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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · pass · file · nail · tube · pitch · bear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wound — an injury
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — a container
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. file — a document
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — to crush

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