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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: stand · pitch · file · kid · tube · ruler · present · coach

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. file — a document
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. present — a gift
  15. kid — child
  16. file — a line of people
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — the time now
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — there

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