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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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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: rest · pitch · tube · dip · snap · fork · board · cap

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pitch — completely
  12. tube — a container
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. snap — to click
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. board — a committee

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