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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.

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: pitch · bore · shower · suit · tube · hide · swing · stand

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. tube — the underground
  7. shower — to wash
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tube — a container
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bore — to drill
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. suit — clothes
  21. swing — in golf
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pitch — completely

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