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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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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: face · bay · can · pitch · tube · clip · staff · pit

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. clip — for paper
  3. can — a tin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. clip — to cut
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. clip — a video
  18. pit — a hole
  19. staff — employees
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — completely
  23. staff — a stick
  24. face — to point toward

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